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Recent News and Legislative Updates

A systematic review published in Manual Therapy found that manual soft-tissue therapies are effective in treating certain musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, and plantar fasciitis.

The review critically appraised seven…

Harbin Hot Springs Resort, the oldest of its kind in California, and a beloved destination within the holistic healing community, was nearly completely destroyed by the California wildfires on Saturday, September 12.

The once-luxurious campus of pools, meditation gardens, camping areas,…

ABMP’s ninth biennial census of massage school programs—a comprehensive look at massage school and graduation numbers—was completed earlier this year. ABMP contacted more than 1,400 programs in our database and asked them one question: “How many students graduated from…

At the recent Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) Annual Meeting, it was announced that the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork will no longer be offering or accepting licensure exam applications as of November 1, 2014, and will cease offering…

Alaska House Bill 328 was signed by Governor Parnell on August 11, 2014, and is now the law in Alaska.  The law requires that all massage therapists practicing in Alaska must have a state-issued massage license. The new law does not…

Under the new amendments to Colorado's Massage Practice Act, starting July 1, 2014, the legal title for massage therapists in Colorado will change.  All "registered" Colorado massage therapists will now be called "licensed" massage therapists, and will have a massage license, not a…

Two bills have been introduced in the Oklahoma state legislature which would require that all massage therapists in Oklahoma have state licenses in order to practice, and that all massage schools have state licenses in order to operate.  Neither bill has been set for hearing in the…

On April 3rd, 2012, Governor Otter signed Senate Bill 1295a into law. The law requires massage therapists to become licensed by the state and establishes a Board of Massage Therapy to implement the process. The law also…

The law and proposed rules, September 9, 2010

Background:
The law (ACT 118) passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2008 provided for the regulation of massage therapists and established the State Board of Massage Therapy to…

Under the current law, a person who is not certified as a massage therapist or bodyworker by the Department of Regulation and Licensing may not designate himself/herself as a massage therapist or bodyworker. The passage of…